It was here. The 18th of January. It was the date I had been happy about for the last few months. Lissa, a fashion designer who has her own ready-to-wear range called Lissa Mjy Couture and offers bespoke dresses made to measure, had organised a fashion show for a charity called Shine. They are a charity who support those living with Spina Bifida or Hydrocephalus (including a network for their families).  

The event was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham. It's an impressive space which meant that the models had a decent length to walk the catwalk, beautifully showcasing the designers' clothes and giving the spectators prime view.  

It was an early alarm for me that day. I was travelling with Cathy, the creative brain behind fashion label Rebel Reign, and Becca, one of the photographers for the event. As we were travelling from Liverpool, Becca had hired a van for the day. Meeting at Cathy's home at the crack of dawn, we filled up the van and started the hour-long drive. Cathy brought all of her eye-catching designs along with her show stopping angel wings (they're about 8ft tall, but don't trust me I'm terrible at judging).   

Prior to the fashion show I had contacted Lissa to talk about my late diagnosis of ADHD and Autism. I personally feel it's better to be transparent so that others understand your needs, and where necessary can make reasonable adjustments. In my case I have all my necessary tools when I venture out including noise cancelling headphones (my lifesaver) and a fidget toy. 

New environments and meeting new people can be overwhelming for people who are neurodivergent as they tend to have anxiety, especially in social situations.  

Imposter Syndrome is also a term that may affect those living with a neurodiverse brain. Simply, our brains tell us we are never good enough. It's like the Devil and angel on your shoulders that some might recognise from 80s cartoons; an inner dialogue constantly at war.  

What massively helped was knowing some of the models and designers. I had met them recently at a previous charity event at the Lowry, Manchester – The Inclusive Fashion Show CIC (which is currently touring the UK). A few of the designers attended both events including Debbie-Lyn Sustainable Fashion and of course, the absolute belter Topsy Curvy, I had also worked with Rebel Reign at a collaboration she had organised. It's such a big help if there are familiar faces. 

  I was a model on the day but also manned the stall for Rebel Reign. On arrival it was all hands on deck! Becca & I helped Cathy unpack mountains and mountains of handcrafted pieces. It was then the models' jobs to visit each of the designers to introduce ourselves and see if they had any designs for us to feature on the catwalk. This also included having a fitting to see if there were any adjustments needed.  

I was over the moon to be selected to walk for: 

Lissa Mjy Couture 

Daisy Amour 

Topsy Curvy twice 😁 

Rebel Reign  

The other designers showcasing were 

Covered in Colour 

Debbie-Lyn Sustainable Apparel 

Abdstract Creative Line (who are a upcoming Nigerian fashion brand)  

A friend of the family nicknamed me K-Bear. She said I gave the best hugs ever and it's kind of stuck. I love it as being born in 1978, Care Bears were a regular feature in my childhood (and probably many others). Although everyone I know gets a K-Bear hug I have learnt that not everyone likes physical contact, and it can be too much for some neurodiverse folk. I always make sure upon meeting someone for the first time I ask if it's ok to give them a hug. Research shows that hugs are scientifically proven to make others feel better. A 20 second hug can lower blood pressure and produce oxytocin and cortisol which all help to induce calmness. Basically everyone (who was willing) got a K-Bear hug. Did I slightly go off on a tangent then? Back to the fashion show. 

We were lucky that Lissa arranged an incredible backstage area. Each of the designers had their own space with tables around the outer perimeter. There were 4 zones sectioned out with chairs to provide plenty of space if anxiety became too much or people were “peopled out”. 

I’ll be honest, my anxiety was intense whilst waiting to get my makeup done. Many ADHD'ers struggle with waiting. Patience can be an area of difficulty. It certainly is for me. Luckily enough I have a Nimbus Access Card. This is a godsend as it allows me priority when queueing and a complimentary companion at events and attractions. If you have a neurodiverse condition, physical disability or cognitive disability I would highly recommend getting one.   

We were blessed to be around so many creative people! Lissa had secured 15 photographers on the day, so it was literally all eyes on us. The show was inclusive and diverse with models of all sizes and abilities. There were even little-uns! Well, primary school age. We were looked after by an incredible Hair and Make Up team who glammed us up for the runway. 

The show started with Lissa Mjy Couture with her ready to wear and bespoke handmade dresses followed by DL Sustainable Apparel who was showcasing a range of beautiful silk kimonos with matching headwear. Next up came Covered in Colour, a festival wear brand where the fabric comes to life under flashlights, and Daisy Amour, a talented up-cycler who reworks duvets to create dresses, dungarees, bags and head accessories. Jo and Nat from Topsy Curvy then had their moment. They are a plus size fashion brand with the softest material clothing covering sizes 14-38 followed by Rebel Reign, a designer who offers gothic and punk upcycled, unique designs. The final designer featured on the catwalk, Abdstract Creative Line came all the way from Nigeria to showcase their edgy streetwear. 

The whole day from start to finish was fantastic. The organisation of the whole event was phenomenal, but it wasn’t just about fashion. The audience were also treated to 3 of the models singing to break up the interval, I just love when talented people get together! 

What was my favourite part of the day, I hear you ask? The Topsy Curvy catwalk! They provided the models with two looks each and on the second outfit an absolute banger of a tune came on. As I approached the end of the runway I had my best rock star moment, headbanging it out and then casually sashaying back down the catwalk. I was convinced it was to Limp Bizkit’s "Rollin’” but it appears after watching the video it was Jessie J’s “Bang Bang”. How wrong was I? I was obviously lost in the moment! 

What I have taken from these experiences is that modelling absolutely feeds into my neurodiversity. I love being the centre of attention and as a child I was labelled an attention seeker. Clearly, I just needed to find the right role that fed into my neurodiverse mind! It's a shame that my neurodiversity and passion only got realised at 45, but I intend to make full use of it now, and make up for lost time, living my best, authentic life. 

I also love meeting so many beautiful people, genuinely nice people and it still gives me pinch me moments. I can’t believe that these people enjoy being around me and like who I am. I don't want to end on a negative but it's something I've not always had In my life. The people you have around you can be so crucial in life so always try and surround yourself with people who see you and accept you for who you are. Life's too short to be around people who don't value who you are in all your entirety. 

By Kerri Moore

Follow Kerri's journey here @kerri_audhd_model